Classic Tiramisu

Tiramisu, if you’ve never had it, is a must try. It is a heavenly Italian combination of soft sponge, coffee, rich mascarpone custard, and fluffy whipped cream. It takes a little more effort than the traditional cake, but it is sooooo worth it. And, after you read this blog post, you’ll realize it’s actually very doable.

You start by making the lady fingers, or the sponge component of the cake. With only four ingredients, they are super quick and simple to make from scratch. Or, you can always buy the premade ones from the store.However, I find those are often dry, so I’d reccomend trying out the homemade version.

They’re not difficult in terms of ingredients, but it is important to fold them carefully so as to keep the air in them. They rely on the air you whip into the egg whites, so folding with caution is vital. Below, I’ve included a video of the motion, and I will also describe it within the instructions if you prefer written instructions.

Then, you make the custard. You start by making a traditional creme patisserie base, which sounds fancy but it really isn’t. All you do is heat up some milk and vanilla, add it to egg yolks and a few other ingredients, then heat it back up until you get a thickened custard. This recipe is also great in that, if the custard gets slightly scrambled, it is really not a problem and easily fixable. Then, you mix in the traditional mascarpone.

The second cream in this tiramisu is whipped cream, which is super simple and adds a lighter texture to the cake. And finally, there is the coffee soaking syrup, made from coffee and your choice of liquor. I prefer Amaretto, but you could honestly use any coffee liquor as well. Just as a warning, the alcohol in this cake is not cooked out so if making for little kids you can add less or omit it. I honestly just really like the flavor, and I don’t think there’s enough in the cake to affect kids.

When you assemble, all you have to do is soak the ladyfingers in the coffee, then layer on the mascarpone custard and whipped cream. You repeat the whole process twice, then dust over the top with cocoa powder. Sounds like a lot, but read below for detailed instructions and tips.

Ingredients:

Lady Fingers:

• 4 eggs, separated
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 7/8 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt

Mascarpone Custard:

• 6 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2/3 cup milk
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 lb, 16 oz mascarpone

Other components:

• 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup coffee
• 6 tbsp Amaretto, or liquor of choice
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

Instructions:

Lady Fingers:

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF, and line a large baking sheet with parchment.
2. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt for about one minute, until they get foamy and soft peaks start to foam. Then, gradually sprinkle in 2 tbsp out of the 2/3 cup of sugar and beat for another 2-3 minutes, until the egg whites are glossy and stiff peas.
3. In another, larger bowl, beat the egg yolks and the remaining sugar for 5 minutes, until lighter in color, thick, and doubled in volume.
4. Fold half of the egg whites into the yolk mixture carefully. When folding, use a movement that takes a silicon spatula around the bowl and then through the mixture. Around, and through. The important thing here is to do it gently.
5. Then, sift in the flour and fold until no lumps of flour are left.
6. Fold the rest of the egg whites in, just until you no longer see any lumps of flour or egg white. As soon as it’s evenly mixed, stop.
7. Transfer the mixture into a piping bag with a round tip, or just into a Ziploc bag and cut off the corner. Pipe the ladyfingers out onto the baking sheet so that they’re all about 4-5″ in length. They will naturally spread out in the oven, so make sure to space them at least 2″ apart.
8. Bake them in the preheated oven for about 8 minutes, making sure they are in the middle of the oven and not too close to the heat (they are so delicate that they will burn). Remove from the oven, and let them cool down completely before removing from the parchment and using them in the tiramisu.
9. The yield usually varies, but I get somewhere around 20-25 most of the time.

Mascarpone Custard

1. Start by adding the milk and vanilla extract to a medium saucepan. Heat on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it just boils. As soon as you see bubbles, the milk is ready.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and pinch of salt until combined and thick.
3. Constantly whisking, pour about a tablespoon of the hot milk into the egg mixture. Whisk vigorously. This process is known as tempering, it is essential to make sure that the eggs are not shocked by the hot milk and they don’t split.
4. Slowly, add the rest of the hot milk in a steady stream and whisk. Pour the whole mix back into the saucepan and put it back on medium heat. Cook it for a few minutes, until it starts to thicken.
5. As soon as it starts to bubble and boil, let it cook for 1 more minute and then take it off the heat. Pour it into another bowl and let it cool, covering it with plastic wrap so that the plastic wrap is touching the custard (this prevents a skin from forming).
6. After it is completely cool, whisk in the mascarpone.

Other Components, Assembly:

1. Make the whipped cream. Add the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt into a bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form.
2. Mix the coffee and amaretto and pour into a wide, flat bowl/plate, to allow dipping to be easier.
3. Take half of the ladyfingers, dip them in the coffee mix, and lay them out on the bottom of an 8″x12″ casserole or glass dish.
4. Evenly spread over half the mascarpone custard, then evenly spread over half the whipped cream.
5. Repeat the process again, then sift the cocoa powder over the top evenly. Then, comes the most difficult part: you have to let the tiramisu sit in the fridge for at least eight hours. I know, I know. But, it’s honestly best after sitting overnight. Then, feel free to slice and enjoy!

Classic Tiramisu

Tiramisu, if you've never had it, is a must try. It is a heavenly Italian combination of soft sponge, coffee, rich mascarpone custard, and fluffy whipped cream. It takes a little more effort than the traditional cake, but it is sooooo worth it. And, after you read this recipe, you'll realize it's actually very doable.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 minutes mins

Resting Time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 9 hours hrs 38 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Servings 12 people

Calories 425 kcal

Ingredients

  

Ladyfingers:

• 4 eggs separated
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 7/8 cup flour all purpose
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt

Mascarpone Custard:

• 6 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2/3 cup milk
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 lb mascarpone 16 oz

Other Components:

• 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup coffee
• 6 tbsp Amaretto or another liquor of your choice
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

Instructions

 

Ladyfingers:

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with salt for about one minute until foamy. Then, add 2 tbsp of sugar gradually as you continue to beat for another 2-3 minutes. Stop beating once you reach stiff peaks.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with the rest of the sugar for 5 minutes, until thick, pale, and doubled in size.
• Fold half of the egg whites into the yolks. See above for more instruction and video about folding.
• Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture and fold. Then, fold in the rest of the egg whites until there are no lumps left.
• Transfer to a piping bag with a round tip (or the corner cut off of a Ziploc bag) and pipe 4-5" ladyfingers out onto the lined baking sheet. Pipe them at least 2" apart.
• Bake them, in the middle of the oven, for 8 minutes. Let them cool completely before using them in the tiramisu.

Mascarpone Custard:

• In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla over medium heat until small bubbles start to form. Remove from the heat.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt until thick and combined.
• Add about a tablespoon of the hot milk and whisk vigorously.
• Add the rest of the hot milk in a slow, steady stream, while whisking continuously.
• Pour the rest of the mixture into the medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk continuously for about 2-3 minutes, until it starts to thicken.
• As soon as it boils, whisk and cook for another minute then remove from the heat. Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, letting the plastic wrap touch the custard. Let cool.

Other Components and Assembly:

• Make the whipped cream by whipping the heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Set aside.
• Combine the cofee and amaretto liquor.
• In an 8" by 12" casserole/glass dish: Dip half of the ladyfingers in half of the liquid for just a few seconds, then lay them out across the bottom of the dish.
• Spread half of the mascarpone cream across the ladyfingers, then half the whipped cream.
• Repeat the process again. Sift the cocoa powder evenly over the final whipped cream layer.
• Put the cake in the fridge, and let it soak for 8 hours or overnight. Then, slice and enjoy.

Notes

• Macros: 31.3 g fat, 33.1 g carbohydrates, 7.4 g protein
• See the blog post above for more detailed instructions, descriptions, and a video showing how to properly fold the sponge mixture. 

Keyword chocolate, classic, coffee, delicious, mascarpone, rich, tiramisu

Bonus: Here’s a picture of the tiramisu I made for my little brother’s birthday, I made a fun chocolate decoration for the top by melting about 6 oz of chocolate and piping it into the design.